Clinical Medicine Insights. Case Reports最新文献

Background: Myocarditis is considered a serious adverse event after COVID-19 infection. The risk and severity of myocarditis after COVID-19 disease decreased significantly in the vaccinated population. We present a case of cardiac magnetic resonance proven fulminant myocarditis following COVID-19 disease in a young female who was previously vaccinated with 2 doses of the BIBP (Sinopharm) vaccine.

Case summary: A 29-year-old female was referred to the hospital with acute chest pain, dyspnea, and nausea. Her electrocardiogram revealed ST-segment elevation in anterolateral leads with reciprocal changes in inferior leads. She was primarily diagnosed with ST-elevation myocardial infarction following spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) according to her age and gender. Her coronary angiography was normal. RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab was positive for SARS-COV-2 infection. According to her history and excluding coronary artery diseases, she was clinically diagnosed with myocarditis and received corticosteroids, IVIG, and colchicine. She was discharged in a favorable condition after 11 days of hospitalization. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis of myocarditis according to the updated lake Louise criteria. On her 4-month follow-up, she was asymptomatic, and her echocardiography showed improvement in biventricular function.

Discussion: The diagnosis of myocarditis caused by COVID-19 infection may be challenging as the symptoms of myocarditis, and COVID-19 disease may overlap. It should be considered when patients have acute chest pain, palpitation, elevated cardiac biomarkers, and new abnormalities in ECG or echocardiography. Cardiac MRI is a non-invasive gold standard modality for diagnosing and follow-up of myocarditis and should be used in clinically suspected myocarditis. The long-term course of myocarditis following COVID-19 disease is still unclear, but some evidence suggests it may have a favorable mid-term outcome.

Background: Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder characterized by an inflammation of proximal muscles of both upper and lower limbs in children below the age of 18 years. The condition mainly involves the proximal muscles and skin but extra-muscular involvement such as the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and heart are also common.

Case presentation: We present a case of a 12-year-old south Asian male who developed weakness and muscular pain in all 4 extremities at 3 years of age. The condition gradually worsened recently, and the patient developed tender ulcerated skin nodules. Power in all 4 limbs was decreased and the patient was not able to perform his routine work such as combing of hair, closing a shirt button, and walking. Laboratory investigations revealed raised total leukocyte count (TLC) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and biopsy of the proximal muscles and skin lesions showed focal mild necrotic infiltrate involving nonnecrotic muscle fibers and calcinosis cutis respectively. A diagnosis of JDM was made and the patient was started on immunosuppressive therapy (steroids) and diltiazem.

Conclusion: JDM shares clinical features with other autoimmune, genetic, and inflammatory conditions. Proper history, thorough clinical examination, and laboratory workup is needed to rule out other masquerading conditions. This case report also highlighted the importance of diltiazem in the treatment of calcinosis cutis which is more commonly seen in patients with dermatomyositis.

Background: Fahr's syndrome a rare neurological condition characterized by an abnormal basal ganglia calcification. The condition has both genetic and metabolic causes. Here, we describe a patient who had Fahr's syndrome and basal secondary to hypoparathyroidism, and her calcium level raised after the administration of steroid therapy.

Case report: We presented a case of a 23-year-old female with seizures. Associated symptoms included headache, vertigo, disturbed sleep, and reduced appetite. Her laboratory workup revealed hypocalcemia and low parathyroid hormone level, computed tomographic (CT) scan of the brain showed diffuse calcification in the brain parenchyma. The patient was diagnosed as a case of Fahr's syndrome secondary to hypoparathyroidism. The patient was started on calcium and calcium supplementations along with anti-seizure therapy. Her calcium level raised after the initiation of oral prednisolone and she remained asymptomatic.

Conclusion: Steroid could be considered as an adjunct therapy with calcium and vitamin D supplementation in patient whose Fahr's syndrome is secondary to primary hypoparathyroidism.

Coronary perforation (CP) is a rare complication of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and can lead to pericardial tamponade. Prolonged balloon inflation is a reasonable treatment for CP, but there is no standard recommendation on the preferable choice between the balloon site for prolonged balloon inflation (ie, proximal and in situ of the perforation). We present a rare case of successful prolonged balloon inflation at the proximal site of the CP after the failure of balloon inflation at the site of perforation. The patient developed CP during balloon inflation post-stent, rapidly progressing to cardiac tamponade. In situ prolonged balloon inflation (3 times) failed to close the CP, but proximal inflation could manage the CP. The take-home message from this case is that balloon expansion at the proximal site could be better than in situ of perforation in patients with CP after PCI.

Objectives: The study investigated the sero-status of human immunodeficiency virus among healthcare workers in Addis Ababa public hospitals.

Methods: A multi-centered, institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September 18, 2022, to October 30, 2022. A simple random sampling method and semi-structured, self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data, which were analyzed using statistical package for social science version 25. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with the sero-status of healthcare workers' post-exposure blood and body fluids for the human immunodeficiency virus.

Results: Of the 420 study participants who were exposed to blood and body fluids, 403 (96%) were non-reactive. Healthcare workers who had 20 to 29 years of work experience had approximately 6 times higher odds of testing positive for human immunodeficiency virus (AOR = 6.21, 95% CI: (2.39, 9.55). Healthcare workers who did not use personal protective equipment properly had 5 times higher odds of testing positive for human immunodeficiency virus (AOR = 5.02, CI: 3.73, 9.51).

Conclusion: This study showed that a higher proportion of healthcare workers at the emergency department were positive for human immunodeficiency virus infection among healthcare workers who were exposed to blood and body fluids and tested immediately. Healthcare workers who did not use personal protective equipment properly had higher odds of testing positive for human immune-deficiency virus.

Hydralazine is an antihypertensive medication that has been associated with drug-associated autoimmune syndromes like interstitial lung disease, pauci-immune glomerulonephritis, and hypocomplementemia. Hydralazine-induced ANCA-associated vasculitis and hydralazine induced positive antinuclear antibodies are rare. Clinical manifestations range from arthralgia, petechiae, or rash to multiorgan involvement. When presented as pulmonary-renal syndrome, it can be rapidly progressive and fatal. Here, we describe a case of hydralazine-associated vasculitis with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and highlight the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor-positive breast cancer is an aggressive cancer which represents approximately a quarter of all breast cancers worldwide. Recent advances have led to the development of targeted therapies, such as trastuzumab (H), which have significantly improved prognosis. Such therapies are currently used alongside other chemotherapeutic agents, such as paclitaxel (P) and gemcitabine (G). The most common side effects of PGH combination therapy include thrombocytopenia and anemias. However, there have been no previous reports of myositis resulting from this combination. We report the case of a 54-year-old metastatic breast cancer patient on PGH therapy who developed muscle weakness. The patient was initially treated with trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and paclitaxel. However, pertuzumab was changed to gemcitabine due to severe diarrhea. After the fourth cycle of PGH, the patient presented with muscle weakness and creatine kinase levels of up to 6755 U/L. Magnetic resonance imaging of the femur and pelvis revealed diffuse bilateral myositis, suggesting a diagnosis of gemcitabine-induced myositis. The patient was placed on intravenous fluids and corticosteroids, which resolved her condition. To our knowledge, this is the first report of gemcitabine-induced myositis in a breast cancer patient. Further studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanisms of gemcitabine-induced myositis and develop preventative measures.

Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO), known as Ogilvie Syndrome, is an acute dilation of the colon in the absence of an underlying mechanical or anatomic cause. Neostigmine treatment is indicated following failed conservative management of ACPO, however neostigmine has its contraindications. This is a report of a unique case of a patient with a past medical history of symptomatic first degree heart block with a permanent pacemaker who received a bolus dosage of neostigmine treatment for ACPO in an ICU setting.

Cryptophthalmos is a rare congenital eye anomaly characterized by the absence of the palpebral fissure. Cryptophthalmos is often associated with Fraser's syndrome. We present a case of 3 days old female Asian neonate with complete unilateral cryptophthalmos, with the absence of a right eyelid. On inspection, there is an absence of eyelid, eyebrow and eyelashes in the right eye, collectively known as adnexal structures. The left eye was apparently normal. As per the parent's decision, surgical intervention was not pursued due to the poor visual prognosis. We advised prenatal genetic screening and testing for future pregnancies. These findings suggest the importance of genetic counseling and testing in cases of cryptophthalmos to identify potential genetic mutations and facilitate appropriate management.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of the nasolabial flap in the management of oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). The descriptive case series included 75 patients diagnosed with OSMF who underwent surgical intervention under general anesthesia. Preoperative mouth opening measurements were compared with postoperative measurements taken after 2 months. Regarding mouth opening, out of the 75 patients, 4 (5.3%) had unsatisfactory results after treatment, while 22 (29.3%) experienced satisfactory outcomes. The majority of patients, 49 (65.3%), achieved normal mouth opening (more than 30 mm) following the Nasolabial flap procedure. This indicates that the Nasolabial flap yielded favorable results in terms of restoring normal mouth opening and benefiting the patients. Based on the findings of this study, the Nasolabial flap was determined to be a viable surgical option for managing oral submucous fibrosis due to its ease of operation, reliable flap vascularity, and low post-operative complication rate. The only drawback identified was the presence of a surgical scar, which can be addressed through secondary correction procedures.